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Show XIV REPORT OF THE 'COXMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. On a basis of 25,000 Indians (the reports of the agents gire a popu-lation of over 25,000, inclltding 2,800 tinned over recentlr bj- the War Department) these Indians are entitled, under the foregoing agreement, to 27,375,000 pollnds gross beef, 4,562,000 po11nds flour, 4,562,000 pounds corn, 365,000 pounds coffee, 730,000 pounds sugar, and 2i3,750 pollnds beans, costing, at prices at which contracts were made for the fiscal year 1882, oyer $1,250,000; and this does not take into con side ratio^^ the promise also made by Congress in the article above qnotetl "to provide all necessary aid to assist the said Indiails in the work of civilization, to furnish them schools," &c. The amount appropriated by. Congress for 1882, for both subsistence and civilization, nnder the above agreement, is only $1,000,000, leaving a deficiency of over $250,000 to be provided for, for subsistence alone, and an additional R I I ~ ~ of at least $100,000 for aiding these Sioux in civilizatioil and agriculttiral p i t s There are other instances in which adrlitional snms mm~st be .had for subsistence, and a deficiency estimate will be submitted to you at an early date for transmission to Congress. The amo11nt appropriated for schools ($85,000) is entirely inadequate. At allnost every agency day-schools, as well as a boarding-school, innst be supported from this fund, since in but few inst,ances does the t.reaty or agreement provide sufficient means for thdt purpose. It is eonfi-dently expected that Congress d l be more liberal in tho future than in the past in appropriating money for the,edncation of the 1ndia.n~. The amount appropriated for the support of the Blackfeet Indians in Montana ($35,000) is insufficient, and @50,00O,alte ast should be granted by Congress for that purpose for the next fiscal year. Iu this conneo-tion I oall your attention to the following letters from Col. Thomas H. Ruger, commanding district of Montana, in regard t.0 the additional snpplies required for the support of these Indians: HEADQUARTEDRISS TRICTOF MONTAXA, Helena, Mont., &tentbe 1, 1891. Sm: I have the honor to request the attention of the department commander to the propriety of action with a view to procuring an increase of snhaistence supplies for the ~ndi ansat tached to the Blackfeet Agenoy. B~ letter of the 26th of May Isst, I urged the agent, Mr. John Young, to present the in full to the department. Repassed throogh here on the 29th instant before my retorn from Maginnis, and stated, ss I learn, that he should go to Washington and een-deavor to get mom supplies for the Indians under his charge. If anything can he dona to forther suohohject, I think, nation to that end very desirable. The factspertinent are, that the sopplies provided far theaeInditlos are entirely ined?qnsts for their~ubsistenw the coming winter; the game obtainable on their reservation is not snficient, if added 1 to theirnee by the agent, to prevent great suffering and even starvation. Should the ! Indians be permitted to leeye the reservation, the neareat region where game could be I had is the Moaselsheil coontry, to reach which would require, by their usual route by the Judith Valley, a journey of ahant twenty-five days through a oountry now prsoti-cally destitute of game, hut aacopierl by settlers aod fur cattle-ranges. The Indians not start provided with food for soah joumnsy. Whether they committed depredatiooa or not, their presence in thesettlement wonld he taken aa conclllsive evi-dence that they were killing cattle from necessity. Should theymove in a bodyand un- |